Life Facts To Teach You Parenting and Child Psychology

As most parents know, determining the best methods to raise their children is often easier said than done! In many cases, well-meaning parents may use ineffective techniques that don’t achieve any positive benefits for their children.

How can parents avoid these types of problems and find the best techniques for child rearing? The answer often comes down to seeking out the experts. And the expert in these scenarios is a properly trained child psychologist.

Child Psychology in America

Child psychology and the study of childhood behavior remains a popular field across America. Aims and objectives include aiming to:

Treat Children with Various Behavioral/Developmental Issues
Identify & Resolve Ongoing Issues
Improve Overall Behavior
Help to Make Children Happier and More Well-Adjusted

All of these elements are important for both children and their parents. In fact, in many cases, children develop poor coping skills and misbehavior thanks to a variety of bad parenting choices.

Ineffective Parenting Techniques

Check out our list of 5 parenting techniques that should be avoided if you are looking for effective results. You may be surprised at how many of these common methods don’t work the way most parents think they do!

Always Completing Tasks for Your Children

Source: schoolatoz via YouTube

It can be difficult to watch your child struggle to properly complete a task. In many cases, parents become impatient or frustrated because a child takes so much time to do something. That often leads parents to regularly complete tasks for their children.

Why It’s Wrong

When you do everything for your child, they learn two lessons. First, they know that whenever they can’t figure something out, you’ll be there to do it for them. Second, they may not develop the patience to learn how to do things for themselves.

You need to let your children figure things out for themselves to learn all the associated skills and abilities. Provide support and guidance to give them the confidence to finish what they have started.

Relenting or “Going Easy” on Your Child

Source: Crimfants via flickr

Many parents feel bad when they see their children going through stress or a difficult situation. Often, the situation they are suffering occurred because of their own actions or behaviors. This sympathetic perspective often leads parents to let their children off or go easy on them – not following through with actions, punishments or consequences.

Why It’s Wrong

When you lack consistency and follow-through, you’re teaching your child that they can get away with anything if they play the sympathy card. Stand firm on your rules, regulations, punishments and policies. While you can be sympathetic and supportive, always follow through with the actions and consequences that you have already established.

Assuming Your Child Knows What You’re Thinking

Source: Dave Parker via Wikimedia Commons

It’s only natural to presume our kids understand what we’re talking about and how we’re feeling. But when you assume your child has the same knowledge or understanding as you do, you can create a confusing and frustrating situation for both parent and child.

Why It’s Wrong

Never presume your child knows everything you do. Instead, make sure you explain what they need to know. If you expect something to be done, make that task specific – with clear rules and guidelines. Your child can’t read your mind, so don’t let yourself think he/she can.

Being Your Child’s Best Friend

Source: J.K. Califf via flickr

You probably hear lots of parents say their child is their best friend. Because of that dynamic, however, a child can typically walk all over a parent. This leads to a variety of problems.

Why It’s Wrong

As a parent, you’re the authority. It’s great to be close with your child. But a friendship is an equal plane – and that is not how a parent-child dynamic should operate. Instead, always make it clear that you’re the authority by setting clear rules, limits, and responsibilities.

Worrying About What Other People Think of Your Parenting

Source: Chirag Rathod via flickr

Picture this scenario – you’re at a movie theater and your child has a meltdown because you won’t buy her any candy. Rather than stand firm on your parenting restrictions, you buy her the candy to not ‘make a scene’ in front of other people.

Why It’s Wrong

By giving in to your children, you are creating inconsistencies in your parenting techniques. This gives a child the knowledge that they can get their way when they act out in certain circumstances – placing the control in their hands.

Instead of worrying about what other people think, stand firm in your parenting techniques. That consistency will help to prevent this type of behavior in the future.

Helping to Find Better Ways to Parent

Parents typically want the best for their children; they are not applying these misguided techniques with cruelty or abuse in their hearts. Instead, they simply don’t know the right ways to achieve the parenting results they want.

This type of misinformation is why child psychologists are so important in the world today. Their research, knowledge, and therapeutic methods can help parents understand better ways to raise their children.

From improved behavior techniques to more effective punishments, an expert’s guidance can lead to a much more well-adjusted child. And that well-adjusted child can grow into a happy and vibrant member of his/her community.

Career in Child Psychology

If you are interested in this field of psychology, here’s some good news – you can make an excellent career out of studying child psychology – and earn a great salary.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median (middle-of-the-road) salary for child psychologists sits at $67,880 a year. In many cases, you can earn a significantly higher annual salary depending on how long you’ve been practicing, where you live, and your specific areas of specialization.

Becoming a child psychologist helps to positively contribute to improved parenting – and better-behaved children. It’s an important field to help sort out issues such as the above parenting techniques. And it can help to discover newer and better ways to treat children who may be suffering from abuse, developmental issues, and related complications.

In the end, the goal is to help raise children to become happy, healthy adults. If this sounds interesting to you, then a career in child psychology could be a great choice for your future.

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